In my experience, musicians and music artists can be sorted into the following three categories of attitude...whereby:

A) Music comes first and foremost. money can enter the equation but is generally an insignificant detail compared to the focus on music.

B) Money is an important detail but doesn't overshadow the work & quality. There's still a commitment to craft & quality..this is a tough one to maintain balance in & can easily degenerate into C if not careful.

C) Money or some other agenda like ladies, fame trappings, attention, getting away from the wife is the SOLE reason for doing what they are doing & music does not even enter the equation in the slightest degree..

Obviously the best results come from A & B..with A being tops

I've always been amazed to witness the decline in quality as artists shift from A - B - down to C in any given situation..

Not specifically referring to reggae artists but artists in various genres..

You'd be surprised to learn how many people, even famous names you've heard of operate from category C..

"You'd be surprised to learn how many people, even famous names you've heard of operate from category C..."

I don't think I would, at least if you rephrased it "people who earn their living thru music, even famous names you've heard of operate from category C...". I would guess it is not all that easy to keep doing anything with art, craft and quality as priorities when that same thing is responsible for paying your rent.

Last edited by Anonymous on Thu Dec 02, 2004 11:21 am, edited 1 time in total.

Note - I'm not suggesting people work for free or not get properly compensated for their work..
I'm just reporting what I see - the quality goes downhill when it shifts from A to B to C..
Its an attitude thing - outside of what people may actually be earning in any given situation..
Note - there are people who can keep their vibes operating in category A at all times no matter what, but thats rare..

And BTW with the 'getting away from the wife' comment - you might think that is in jest, but I know 1st hand one artist for whom a big component of work plans, at times, had to do with getting away from the wife for extended periods..4 real!